I was wrong. My bond with Zoe has had a steadying effect on both of us. I’m bound, but not like a dog, like a partner. I’d never want it any other way.
Over the next several days, Zoe continues her spell on the gold ring. Once it finished in the potion, she nailed it to a board made of ash wood with symbols burned into the surface. She explained the magic behind the spell, but I couldn’t follow it. All I know is that the entire house smelled like lilacs and honey for two days. She followed that up with dangling the ring from a triangle of sticks and feathers that spun in the wind. Even I figured out she was capturing the element of air somehow and transforming it into an enchantment.
Today, she wraps the ring in a banana leaf decorated in runes and buries it near a tree on the back lot. “Last one,” she tells me as she pats the surface of the dirt.
“How many days do you have to leave it buried?”
“One should do. I’ll take it out tomorrow. Then it’s just a matter of raising the enchantments and fusing them.”
“The picture you drew had five ribbons. You’ve only done four spells.”
“The fifth is in the metal itself. The gold holds its own magic.”
“So, have you found anyone who can fuse the spells?”
She turns to me, a twinkle in her eye. “I think I’m going to try to do it myself. Not with gold dust but with my own power, the power you feel in my voice.”
I take her by the shoulders. “That’s great, Zoe. But have you tried it on anything else yet?”
She slants me a coy smile and flings her fingers out toward an oak leaf that rests near our feet. I hear the air rush from her lungs and then a soft whisper of a song, almost like she’s coaxing the wind to her aid. The leaf lifts off the ground and revolves between us.
“That’s incredible!”
She flips her hand, and the leaf settles back to the grass. “Don’t look too impressed. I’m not sure it will be enough to finish the spell, but if I’m not strong enough, I’ll ask Hazel. She’s a member of my coven who has always had a soft spot for me. I think she’ll say yes, but I’ve waited to ask her because doing so will necessitate my coming clean about everything that we’ve done so far and why. It will mean admitting you’re a dragon and that I used gold dust to analyze the ring. I think she will help me, but the journey to get her there won’t be pretty.”
“You’re strong enough,” I say confidently. “When a human mates a dragon, it improves their health, their strength, and any magical abilities inherent in their blood. Draw on our connection. I believe in you.”
She wraps her arms around my waist. “You are the world’s sexiest cheerleader.”
My phone rings, and I reluctantly unwrap myself from her to answer Patrick’s ringtone. We have a brief exchange before I turn Zoe back toward the house. “We have a guest.”
“Remus!” When I embrace my brother, he thumps my back with a fully intact arm. I stop to inspect it, noting that the blue veins are gone and all his bones are back in working order.
“Yeah, I’m back, motherfucker, thanks to that mate of yours.” His gaze flicks to Zoe, and she smiles proudly.
“Excellent news.”
“The healer on Cardinal Island said it would have taken me a year to regrow what I lost of my arm if not for the tea we made from Fiona’s well water. What the fuck is in that stuff?”
“It’s infused with celestial energy. I’m so glad it worked,” Zoe says, then strides right up to him and gives him a hug hello. The growl that rumbles from my throat echoes in the foyer.
Remus gently pushes her away. “Maybe it’s best you don’t touch another male for a year or two,” he mumbles.
“Sorry.” I shove my dragon down and tell him to shut the fuck up.
“Understandable.” Remus takes another small step away from Zoe, who looks like she’s fighting back laughter. “Thanks again, Zoe.”
“Dragons.” She shakes her head. “You’re welcome.”
We assemble around the table, where Remus tells us the story of his recovery. The conversation stays light until he reaches the end. “I’ve been cleared to full service, Seb.”
“Full service,” I parrot, not wanting to think about what that means. The truth is, I’ve been enjoying the bubble Zoe and I have been in all week as the rest of the brotherhood gave us space to finish the ring.
“The other brothers have filled in for our rotation long enough. They’ve obtained dozens of rings. It’s time for you and me to get back on the horse. I told Connor we’d take the next one on the list tonight.”
“Connor isn’t in his alignment. You should have cleared that with me,” Seb says.
Remus frowns. “I’m clearing it with you now,” he drawls. “In what universe does Sebastian York shirk his zodiac duties?”
